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2B Daily News – Friday, November 22, 2013 FEATURES Stop casual drinking from becoming problem drinking DEAR DOCTOR K: run, alcohol alleviates uncomfortable I'm a 36-year-old feelings and woman. Lately strong emotions. I've been drinkBut you can ing more than I retrain yourself used to. How can to cope in I rein in my healthy ways, drinking before it making it less becomes a problikely that you'll lem? turn to alcohol in DEAR READDr. K times of stress. ER: Even for by Anthony L. Finally, don't people who ini- Komaroff, M.D. underestimate tially have a healthy relationship with the importance of overall alcohol, things can wellness to help prevent change over time. So relapse and propel longhow can you prevent term change. Being casual drinking from physically out of shape, crossing into problem for example, is not just a cosmetic issue — you drinking? First, some basics. A also just don't feel that standard drink equals 12 well. You don't have ounces of beer, 5 ounces your usual energy; your of wine or 1.5 ounces of mind doesn't seem as hard liquor. According sharp. You get sleepy to the National Institutes earlier in the day. You're of Health, healthy just not yourself. When you're in that women should drink no more than three drinks a kind of state, finding the day and no more than inner discipline to deal seven drinks a week (an with any problem is a average of one drink per challenge. That's why improving your diet, day). healthy Even if you usually maintaining stay within this limit, sleep habits and exercisalcohol could be prob- ing regularly can help lematic. For example, you achieve and mainhow often do you drink tain your drinking goals. I've had several until you feel tipsy or drunk? Do you crave patients who never had a alcohol? How often do problem with alcohol you drink more than you until a very stressful event, such as the loss of should? Based on these ques- a job or the end of a relations, you may decide tionship. Almost always it's time to cut back or their friends tended to stop drinking altogether. drink pretty heavily — Whatever you decide, an more heavily than they. informative new e-book But because of the stress, by my Harvard Medical they started to follow School colleague Dr. their friends when that Debi A. LaPlante, second or third drink was "Responsible Drinking ordered. On occasion, for Women," can help people who had never you make the change. had a drinking problem This e-book will help started drinking alone, identify issues that could and in excess. But usualmake it difficult to ly they were just doing change, and then intro- what their friends were duce strategies to over- doing — and getting no come them. It is avail- negative feedback. I hope this advice, able through online and the more detailed retail booksellers. in Dr. You'll start by setting information goals. Do you want to LaPlante's e-book, will drink less or eliminate help you decide if you alcohol completely? Do have a problem and, if you want to start now or so, to nip it in the bud. in six months? Do you Dr. Komaroff is a plan to cut back gradualphysician and professor ly or stop cold turkey? Harvard Medical You'll also need to at To send acknowledge why you School. go to drink. For example, questions, or many women drink to AskDoctorK.com, help cope with stress or write: Ask Doctor K, 10 conflict. You may have Shattuck St., Second learned that, in the short Floor, Boston, MA 02115. Tardy family causes stressful holidays two hours late, say, ''How Dear Annie: We host nice to see you! I had no Thanksgiving dinner for idea you were coming. my husband's family every There are extra plates in the year, and I enjoy doing so, kitchen. Help yourself.'' Be but I have a problem with gracious and welcoming, but my stepson's wife. They don't drive yourself crazy have not lived together for for people who are too rude almost three years, but they to show up at a reasonable still travel together regularAnnie's hour. ly, including visits home. Dear Annie: I have two I have continued to children whose birthdays are include her, as well as her three children (all from pre- by Kathy Mitchell a day apart. My youngest vious relationships) in and Marcy Sugar was a year old a week ago, and my older child turned 3 every invitation for the holidays. She never responds. Most of the next day. I am really hurt the time, they don't come. But occa- because my family did not acknowlsionally, they show up two or three edge the baby on his birthday. Our family's tradition is to call hours past dinnertime. I can make adjustments for a couple of unex- on the actual birthday and send a pected guests, but not for five peo- gift in the mail. This year, no gifts were sent to either child, and only ple who are that late. I would like to tell her that if I the 3-year-old received any phone don't hear from her, she should not calls. No mention was made of a come at all, but my husband says gift ''on the way'' or of the fact that that would hurt his son's feelings. the baby turned 1 the day before. I am not concerned about the What do you think? - Last-Minute gifts. But am I wrong to be upset Hostess Dear Last Minute: If all five of that my 1-year-old was not even a them are coming late, it includes thought? I can understand that peoyour stepson, no? So why is this the ple are too busy to call two days in wife's fault? Is your stepson inca- a row, but isn't it proper to call for the child who celebrates first? I pable of using a telephone? Here's our suggestion: If you always send gifts for a child's birthdon't hear from anyone in this fam- day and follow up with a phone call. ily before the holiday, call your Should I stop? Can you print this stepson and ask whether they are and blast them for being rude so I planning to come. (If you prefer, can mail them a copy? — Mommy Dear Mommy: No, but we will call his wife directly.) Start your dinner on time, and if they show up suggest you change your expecta- Mailbox Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. A long dark night of denial I have been waiting for this day because I have something to tell you. I've been holding a secret. For the past year, I've been on a very lonely, dark and scary journey. I knew that when today arrived I would have either gotten through the pain and agony or died trying. I am so excited because today has arrived and look -- I'm still here! I made it, and now I can tell you. For the longest time -- more than a decade -- my book editor has been urging me to write a book on a subject I thought was boring, if not distasteful. Every time she brought it up I'd laugh it off and change the subject. Ha ha ha! Not me, please pass the salt. Why would I write about something I don't care about, don't care to learn about and don't even want to think about? How would I even do that? Sure, I could look up a bunch of facts, spit out statistics galore and fill up the required number of pages. But it would be a horrible outcome lacking the most important single key ingredient in a good book: passion. In time, her urging became more of a strong suggestion. Then it landed on my desk -- a formal written offer. Usually it's the other way around; an author writes a pro- only woman in the history of the posal and hopes a publisher world who does not age, who keeps working at full capacity to age 100 will respond with an offer. Perhaps, I should have and therefore has no need to address this thing called held out for all the retirement. (That thought reasons I just made me laugh then, and it mentioned. But in still does because it is so a weak moment, I absurd.) I humbled myself agreed to do it. I agreed and ended the pity party. to write a book for So how did this all turn women on the subject of out? I did it! I wrote it, finplanning for retirement. I ished it and just got my saw you cringe. Don't hands on the first copy. worry. I know the feeling. Stay tuned because I will I have written a numbe giving you the details in ber of books over the my next column. Just make past decades, but none as Mary sure you fasten your seat challenging (impossible, belts because this girl's on never going to happen, I a mission to share, compel cannot do this, why on and move you to action -earth did I agree) as this no matter your age or one. I threw in the towel financial condition. and gave up, and I mean Writing my newest book I did that every day for rocked my world. I hope it months on end! I could not write what I didn't believe. Or does the same for yours. believe what I was not willing to do. Mary Hunt is the founder of That's when I wrote a letter of resignation. I quit. I was certain I'd www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 23 books, including her made a huge mistake. But then, before I could hit 2012 release, "7 Money Rules for Life." You can email her at "Send," something happened. I surrendered. After 46 attempts mary@everydaycheapskate.com, to write it (each attempt followed or write to Everyday Cheapskate, by "Delete All"), I acknowledged P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA that I am not likely to become the 90630. Forest Service offers digital maps for mobile WASHINGTON - The U.S. Forest Service now offers access to variety of visitor maps for people using Android and iOS devices. "This mobile app makes it easier than ever to plan your visit to a national forest or grassland," said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "By putting important forest information right at your fingertips, it will encourage more Americans to get outside and explore their forests." The digital maps are part of USDA's work toward reaching President Obama's initiative to create a paperless government that also provides the American public with better, more accessible information. Online customer surveys also indicated a desire for more online products and information, such as maps. The Forest Service is currently working on the first phase of a website redesign, expected to debut early in 2014, which centers on a map-based tool for planning trips onto our nation's forests, grasslands and other special places. The PDF Maps Mobile App, developed by Avenza Systems Inc., is available as a free download from iTunes and the Android Play Store. The app provides access to Forest Service maps, such as motor-vehicle-use maps, which are free while pages from national forest atlases are 99 cents and forest visitor maps are $4.99. Prices are pending for other agency maps. The maps are geo-referenced with the user's location appearing as a blue dot. The app works on tions. Kids whose birthdays coincide with another sibling's, a major holiday or other event often get shortchanged. We agree that the relatives should not have ignored your younger child when calling for the older. But your older child can speak on the phone and understand what the call is for. The baby cannot, and that is probably what prompted the neglect. But whether or not they phone, you should continue to do so. Don't punish the children because their parents are inconsiderate or forgetful. Dear Annie: ''Unwilling'' said he has a major problem with his parents' 40th anniversary celebration because they want a whitesweatshirt photo. OMG! Both of my parents have Alzheimer's. Because of trauma from alcoholism, abuse and mental illness, my immediate family has not been together in one place for 40 years. Get over it, ''Unwilling.'' You are supremely blessed to all still be alive and able to celebrate being a family. Enjoy. Be grateful. Let go. — Envious iPhones (3GS or newer) and iPads with WiFi+3G. It also works with Android 4 or newer operating systems on devices with at least 1 gigabyte of memory. Through the app, users can purchase and download professionally created maps that are stored on their devices. They can use the maps based on their location when GPS is available. The maps also will allow users to measure distance and area, find coordinates, open a current view in Google maps, plot place marks, add notes, enter their own data and add photos as attributes. Almost 700 Forest Service maps are available through the app. In areas of national forests and grasslands where Internet connections are unavailable, the app and static maps work well if users download the maps prior to their visit. The apps and maps also will be useful for wildland firefighters. In geographic areas with internet availability users will be able to use the products with live data. The interactive map is expected to be available on a limited basis starting in March 2014. The Forest Service's seven regions are tasked with uploading maps. Users should contact the regional office where a forest or grassland is located if maps are not available on the app. Paper maps are still available for purchase online at the National Forest Store. The Forest Service differs from other federal government agencies in how the Forest Visitor map is funded. The Agriculture Adjustment Act of 1938 calls for the sale of maps as the funding mechanism to revise and produce maps for the public. In 1999 the Act was amended to include products available through the web as "georeferenced data." The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. Community Clip? e-mail: clerk@redbluffdailynews.com or Fax: 527-9251 Hunt Everyday Cheapskate Game warden to introduce new book Retired game warden Steven T. Callan has earned accolades with his debut book, Badges, Bears, and Eagles — The True-Life Adventures of a California Fish and Game Warden, published by Coffeetown Press in Seattle. As part of his continuing book tour, Callan will appear at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge at 1 p.m. Dec. 7 for a presentation highlighting his hit book and his 30-year career as a wildlife protection officer. A book signing will follow, and the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the refuge. This visit is a homecoming of sorts for Callan, who spent much of his childhood in the farms and fields surrounding the Sacramento wildlife complex. During his career as a wildlife protection officer, Callan conducted some of the most fascinating, complex, and highly successful wildlife investigations in California history. He also collected a wealth of actionpacked, suspenseful, and often humorous true stories. In Badges, Bears, and Eagles, Callan provides a vivid first-person account of his adventures. Callan and his colleagues outsmarted game hogs, thwarted fish thieves and foiled outlaws. Callan was even stalked by African lions and mauled by a 500-pound Bengal tiger. One of the most important cases of his career began with a slain bald eagle dropped on the doorstep of the Fish and Game office, along with a note threatening the life of a fellow warden. A decade later, Callan and his working partner, Dave Szody, conducted a three-year undercover investigation which exposed a statewide criminal conspiracy to kill California black bears for their valuable gallbladders. Callan grew up in Orland, where he never missed an opportunity to ride along on patrol with his father, a California Fish and Game warden. He went on to graduate from CSU, Chico, and attended graduate school at CSU, Sacramento. Hired by the California Department of Fish and Game in 1974, he began his career as a game warden near the Colorado River, promoted to patrol lieutenant in the Riverside/San Bernardino area, and ended up in Shasta County. He has earned numerous awards for his work in wildlife protection.